New Extension Services and Restructuring Farm Management Training Under Transition: A Pilot Project in Hungary

As a result of the radical political, social, and economic transition in process fundamental changes have been taking place in Hungarian agriculture concerning the outside environmental conditions of farm management (government policy, loss and alter of export markets, legislation ’'boom", etc.), as well as, in inside circumstances of farming operations (new land owners with limited knowledge and basic capital, decentralisation and privatisation of large-scale farm businesses, conversion of farm enterprise forms, etc. It has been a considerable effect on the requirements against information and human resources within all type of restructuring businesses. Most of the previous information and advisory services either have become obsolete or collapsed. By surveying the major objectives and achievements of a pilot project this paper presents how a local enterprise agency in Hungary has been able to respond to these changes. Although the greater part of the development work has not been carried out, but pilot advisory models and case studies elaborated during this regional development project have enabled to leam fundamental lessons and formulate further problem-oriented conclusions and considerations.